1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container for accommodating liquid and/or pasty substances. The container has a tubular outlet connector that is sealed via a film or a similar membrane, relative to the substance accommodated in the container, for storage, and is configured to accommodate an inlet connector of a dispensing element, which can be inserted into the outlet connector, in certain regions, and has a piercing sleeve that is displaceably accommodated in the outlet connector. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a combination of a container and a dispensing element, as well as to a method for opening a container.
2. The Prior Art
Liquid and/or pasty components are frequently offered in rigid, cartridge-like containers or in tubular bags that are connected with a rigid dispensing cap. To open such containers, it is necessary for a user to open up a film or the like before the first use, so that the substance accommodated in the container can exit. Because it is necessary to keep a suitable tool on hand for this purpose, this requirement is felt to be complicated and disadvantageous.
A device for opening a tubular bag containing a pasty substance is described in DE 299 23 938 U1, whereby an axially displaceable small piercing tube is provided in an accommodation cap connected with the tubular bag, in an outlet connector. This small tube can be manually displaced from a retracted position into an advanced position. In the retracted position, the small piercing tube does not project beyond the contact plane of the tubular bag, but projects out of the outlet connector on the opposite side. In the advanced position, the small piercing tube projects beyond the contact plane and thereby opens the tubular bag. In order to avoid unintentional opening of the tubular bag during transport and storage, a removable spacer is provided, by means of which the small piercing tube can be held in its retracted position. Similar devices are also known from EP 1 138 396 B1, EP 1 138 397 B1, EP 1 227 049 B1, and EP 1 557 363 A1. In the case of these devices, it can be felt to be a disadvantage that the spacer must be removed before opening the container, in some application cases. Furthermore, there is the risk of unintentional opening of the container if the spacer is not sufficiently secured.
Mixers are proposed in CH 674 717 A5 and DE 196 18 693 A1, which can be connected with containers as dispensing elements. In this connection, the inlet connectors of the mixers are configured as piercing taps that can pierce a tubular bag or the like to open it. Opening of the containers is therefore possible only using a mixer specially configured for this purpose.
Furthermore, tubular bags are described in DE 91 03 038 U1, in GB 2 255 596 A, and in EP 0 653 362 A1, in each instance, which can be pushed onto rigid piercing mandrels or the like by means of dispensing pistons. The mandrels are provided in a cap or cartridge. In this way, the tubular bags can be automatically opened by means of the advance movement or forward arching of the tubular bag during the emptying process. In this connection, however, there is the risk that the tubular bags already unintentionally make contact with the piercing mandrels during storage or transport, which could lead to opening of the tubular bags.
A film package is known from EP 1 169 242 B1, which consists of a tubular bag and a lid connected with the tubular bag, which lid can be connected with an outlet connector with a cap. A projecting mandrel for opening the tubular bag is provided in the cap. Furthermore, a blocking element is disposed in the outlet connector, which projects beyond the tip of the mandrel in the direction toward the tubular bag, so that unintentional opening of the tubular bag is prevented. To open the tubular bag, the blocking element is first removed from the outlet connector, and subsequently, the tubular bag is pushed further into the cap, with its lid, so that the mandrel penetrates into the tubular bag. To open a tubular bag, a user therefore has to perform multiple work steps.